Students honor professor

Merryman considered a friend, too, at Saint Mary's.

Merryman considered a friend, too, at Saint Mary's.

April 21, 2006

She comes to the classroom with a warm smile, a professional attitude and knowledge of the subject. Her students say she is wonderful at her job. Saint Mary's College's accounting professor Mary Ann Merryman was recently honored by the Student Academic Council at the Women Honoring Women dinner. Students nominate faculty members who inspire, encourage and make a contribution to the life of the college. There were 70 nominations. The field was narrowed by the council to three finalists. Anna Gilsinger, who is a senior at Saint Mary's and a native of Winamac, nominated her for the award. "She is a fabulous professor," Gilsinger said. "She challenges us. In the beginning, she calmed my fears about having no knowledge of accounting, but in the end, she is now calming my fears about post-graduation." "With an upbeat and positive attitude, she is always there to encourage us to challenge ourselves at every step of the way. She is not only a professor, but she is a friend." Susan McIlduff is a junior and the student body president-elect. "She reaches out to everyone. She is a mentor to every student," McIlduff. Merryman was greatly honored because it came from her students. *** George S. Miller of Goshen will celebrate his 80th birthday with family and friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Mark United Methodist Church, 502 N. Main St., Goshen. Daughter Georgia Davis said it is a celebration of life, because her father suffered three serious accidents and made it through. "He said he didn't want a party but we told him to hush up and enjoy it," she said. George was trapped under a modular home in 1975 when the house shifted on the foundation. In 1996, a propane tank exploded in a house he was helping construct. And in 2004, he was in a serious car-truck accident. He was hospitalized all three times and his family of six children prayed for his recovery. "He is as healthy as he was after the last accident. We all say God isn't done with him yet," his daughter said. George has lived his entire life in the Middlebury and Goshen area. He worked for Kathy Borlik Namely News Kathy Borlik writes this weekly column about people. 35 years in the South Bend area for Portage Homes and Bower Homes. Everyone wants to celebrate and keep him healthy. *** Draw your safe place. Three area students recently won a poster contest from the Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County. The contest was part of the National Safe Place Week. And a Safe Place is where teens can get help before a situation goes from bad to worse. There are 111 sites in St. Joseph County. You know them from the Safe Place signs in the window. The three winners were: first place, Chelsea Lancaster, Adams High School; second place, Amanda Hopkins, Adams High; and best middle/intermediate, Tyler Leamon, Grissom Middle School.